In a new study, researchers have found that iron may be to blame for chronic heart failure in half of heart attack survivors. The study, conducted by the University of Leicester and published in the journal Nature Communications, looked at the hearts of mice that had been genetically engineered to lack the protein ferritin, which stores iron in the body.
The researchers found that, without ferritin, iron accumulated in the heart and induced chronic heart failure. The findings suggest that iron could be a major contributing factor to chronic heart failure in humans, and that reducing iron levels could be a potential treatment for the condition.
While more research is needed to confirm the findings in humans, the study provides new insight into the role of iron in heart health, and raises the possibility that reducing iron levels could help to prevent or treat chronic heart failure.
Around half of patients who survive a heart attack will go on to develop chronic heart failure, and new research suggests that iron may be to blame.
In a study of over 1,700 heart attack survivors, those with high levels of iron in their blood were more likely to develop chronic heart failure than those with lower levels. The findings, published in the journal Circulation, suggest that iron may play a role in the development of heart failure after a heart attack.
Previous research has shown that iron is a potential driver of heart disease. Iron is involved in the production of reactive oxygen species, which can damage cells and lead to inflammation. Inflammation is a key driver of heart disease, and chronic heart failure is a common complication of heart attacks.
The new study provides strong evidence that iron plays a role in the development of chronic heart failure after a heart attack. The findings suggest that iron may be a target for future therapies to prevent or treat chronic heart failure.
